Imperial College 
Foils drawn, under the gaze of the mid-afternoon sun, IC Fencing novices strode confidently into competition against London’s finest at the ULU Novice Foil Fencing competition. For some their first competition lay ahead, and for others, the experienced, their second. In the heat of a match none of this matters. No nerves, no fear. The mind focuses not on the dripping sweat and aching muscles, nor the weary eyes, but on the flood of memories from past training sessions, evaluating the next move, the pre-emptive strike. What followed by the teams, Imperial Tequila and Mojito, was a display of pure determination and skill.
Both teams eased to early victories in the often tricky opening match, defeating both UCL second and third teams, with impressive scores of 45-27 (Tequila) and 45-32 (Mojito). Imperial Mojito continued to put in a strong performance against UCL first, but eventually succumbed to pressure against a very strong UCL team.
Imperial Tequila’s second match versus Kings was not so clear cut. An evenly matched and intensely fought struggle led to a 44-44 deadlock. All eyes watched on intently as the competitors took their positions. In a display of their skill and confidence, Imperial Tequila took victory. Cheering ensued.
Giving firm opposition, both teams lost their third matches against the two strongest sides in the competition, with Tequila losing to UCL1 and Mojito losing to ULU a close 45-37. Mojito put up a strong performance against the Kings team which gave Tequila such trouble, winning 45-38, an excellent result.
The competition closed with what some claim to be the only match of the competition, the Imperial Tequila-Mojito showdown. The outcome of this match was all important for the final standings of the contest, with a medal position at stake. A closely battled, and needless to say heated match once again came down to one point. The weight of team pride on their already weary shoulders tortured the mind. Imperial Mojito overcame the pressure to win a well deserved final point.
With their victory Mojito took an overall third place in the competition, awarded bronze medal for a fantastic performance on the day. All involved gave impressive displays, a sign of a strong future for IC Fencing club.
Celebrations were short lived however, with post competition drinks at the union. Penalties for the day’s events were delivered by a multitude of shots from the infamous epee guard, penalties for a low overall score, high score, or anything else the team could come up with. The excellent performances of the day soon disappeared from memory.